


Something More

by ladyofdecember



Category: Red Dwarf (UK TV)
Genre: Denial of Feelings, Fluff, Insomnia, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25597777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyofdecember/pseuds/ladyofdecember
Summary: Lister and Rimmer get stuck together on a strange ship. The captain is more than gracious enough to offer them quarters to stay in but there's only one bed. From a tumblr prompt "There's only one bed."
Relationships: Dave Lister/Arnold Rimmer
Comments: 4
Kudos: 50





	Something More

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this from a tumblr prompt for a request. If you'd like to send me more requests, my tumblr is ladyofdecember! Please forgive my exaggeration of Lister's pronunciation and manner of speaking. I'm American and have trouble with British-y stuff! LOL!

“There's only one bed.”

Rimmer and Lister were standing in strange quarters on a strange ship, far away from Red Dwarf. The quarters had been given to them by the ship's captain, a safe place they could ride out the asteroid storm that was currently surrounding them. 

The ship had been discovered back on Red Dwarf and not being very far, the two had ventured out alone to investigate. With Cat and Kryten being otherwise unavailable and the trip not seeming like it'd take long, the two had headed out together with high hopes of what they might find aboard.

What they had found of course was an intense storm that had nearly knocked them off course.

The ship's crew had saved their lives just in the nick of time with the asteroids threatening to decimate poor Starbug.

The crew had hailed them and offered to pull them in to safety to which they gratefully accepted.

Now, the two stood in the middle of the guest quarters graciously offered to them by the captain, a bug like species with astonishingly bright red eyes. She was rather taken by Rimmer right away but he'd really wanted nothing to do with her.

Lister moved ahead to settle in on the bed, not bothering to respond to Rimmer's statement. The hologram wasn't sure he'd even heard him so he repeated it again.

“Lister, we've got to tell her we need another bed. Or a... a cot, for you.” He added hastily, looking very uncomfortable and still standing right next to the door. He obviously didn't want to be the one to go ask her for another bed, lest she might offer her own instead.

“What's the big deal, Rimmer?” Lister asked over his shoulder as he pulled off a heavy looking boot and tossed it aside. He wiggled his sock clad toes a bit and Rimmer blanched at the singular big toe poking up out through a hole in it. “Who cares if there's just one bed, yeah? Get over it.”

Lister turned back to face to man who looked like he was going to vomit and laughed at the spectacle he was making of himself. He motioned to the rather large bed and ran a hand over the smoothed down blanket and covers. “There's plenty a' room, yeah? It's really big and soft. Perfect for a nice nap.” He took the time to waggle his eyebrows at the hologram just to piss him off more, knowing exactly how to push his buttons.

Rimmer scoffed, moving closer towards the desk on the far end of the room. He set down their small bag of tools and paused, seeming to consider something. “Well, I suppose it'll do for now. We're just here to ride out the storm and then we'll be heading back to Red Dwarf pronto. Perhaps, there's time for a quick nap.” He faced Lister once again. “Alright, I'll take the bed, you take the floor next to it.”

Lister laughed as he finished pulling off the rest of his shoes and socks and shook his head. “Yeah right! You're the hologram! You don't even need t' sleep! I should get the bed if anything and you take the floor.”

“That's hardly fair, Lister. I am your superior officer.”

“Yeah, well, we ain't on Red Dwarf, are we?”

Rimmer watched as the man peeled back the covers and began to settle in beneath them sleepily. He'd been rather exhausted lately and was looking forward to a good, long sleep. 

Glaring at him intently, Rimmer remained motionless still beside the desk. 

After a few tense moments, Lister spoke up once again, his eyes already shut as he lay facing away from him on his side. “Rimmer, would you just lay down, already? It's not a big deal. Besides, you let me sleep in your bed back on Dwarf.”

“I don't let you, you just sleep in my bunk!” Rimmer's voice floated over to him from somewhere across the room and Lister smiled to himself, already feeling sleep overtake him.

Finally, he felt the presence of Rimmer next to him in the bed, the sensation of the covers being lifted away and then replaced once more. The man had climbed in behind him and was lying very still, probably uncomfortable with the whole situation. Lister imagined how he must look in his head and began to laugh.

“Why are you laughing?” The hologram asked him, his voice filled with disdain. Lister opened his eyes and rolled back over to face him.

The bright lights of the quarters were still on and he squinted in pain at the brightness. “You make me laugh! You're so ridiculous.”

Rimmer was lying flat on his back, not looking entirely displeased at the idea of them in bed together but not looking very relaxed either. He pulled a face at him and then went back to staring at the ceiling, hands laced together over his chest neatly.

Lister sat up, propping himself up on his elbow. “I'm glad we made it out of that storm. It was nice of the captain to let us stay here instead of, ya know, just like ignoring our pleas for help.”

“Mm. Starbug has definitely seen better days. She needs work.”

Satisfied that the man would likely settle down now for the night, Lister laid back flat on his back and shut his eyes. He tugged on the covers that lay atop both of them and let out a content sigh. “Lights off.” He called out to the room's automation and then lowering his voice to the man beside him, “Goodnight, Rimmer.”

Glancing over at the man who now lay so very close to him, Rimmer studied the calm and lax features of his face. His eyes trailed down from his brow and forehead alongside his nose and down to his lips. He took in his expression as his breathing began to even out in his chest.

Rimmer swallowed, suddenly feeling very nervous about the whole situation. He immediately reprimanded himself. 'This is ridiculous! Why are you nervous?' He asked himself internally. 'This is a perfectly normal situation, nothing odd about it. Soldiers often have to... bunk... together in times of crises. You are a solider, an officer, dammit! Pull yourself together!'

Rimmer lay there staring at the ceiling for some time, not daring to glance back at his friend who was now deeply asleep. The man had the gift really of being able to sleep anywhere at any given time. He could even remember Lister once falling asleep at the helm of the ship! The man was ridiculous.

The sound of him breathing next to him was very distracting. It was oh so distracting that now Rimmer couldn't even power himself down! He glared at the man's slack looking face as he slept and wished desperately they could have just been given different rooms. This man was impossible!

Rolling on to his side and facing away from Lister, Rimmer finally shut his eyes to try to get some rest. He tried to ignore the way the other man's mere presence seemed to always affect him. Why was that exactly? He just had a way of pushing his buttons!

Rimmer knew deep down that they were more than just bunk mates, more than just co-workers, of course. Even more than just friends if he were really being honest which he usually tried his best not to.

They weren't just soldiers, they weren't... really even soldiers. They weren't serving on a ship under a captain so much so as struggling to survive in a universe that had basically moved on without them many an eon ago. The hologram scoffed.

He opened his eyes and stared at the far corner of the room in agony. He hated the way his brain worked late at night. Sometimes it just wouldn't turn off no matter how hard he tried. What was even the point of thinking about any of this? There was no way out of their situation. There was no real solution to the problem.

But was it even a problem?

The hologram found himself second guessing his own thoughts. He swallowed again nervously, still thinking about Lister laying so close behind him. He moved slightly to try to reorient himself and found the bed creaking ever so slightly under their weight.

It was then that he felt the brush of the other man's hands along his back as he too shifted about on the bed, this time he guessed, turning to lay on his side as well.

A moment or two later, Rimmer felt the man move even closer to him, only barely touching him but still close enough for him to feel the warmth emanating off of him.

Allowing his eyes to shut again, Rimmer found himself relaxing a bit in their new positions, lying warm beneath the covers of this strange bed on this strange ship.

Lister's breathing evening out again was enough to help him finally power down as well as he joined the man in sleeping. Perhaps, sharing a bed was just the thing he needed to finally get some rest.


End file.
